The GVSU Administrative/Professional (AP) Committee is seeking nominations for outstanding staff in recognition of work done on behalf of the University. The AP Awards Committee has determined that a need existed to expand the window for nominations, hence, nominations are now open and will continue to be accepted until March 14, 2014.

The AP Awards recognize both individual and team accomplishments that significantly impact GVSU. AP Employees can be nominated by GVSU students, faculty or staff. Once received, nominations are then reviewed by the AP Awards Committee. Here are the categories for nominations:

Achievement Award

Commitment to Diversity Award

Commitment to Students Award

Innovation Award

Outstanding Team Project Award

Service to Community Award

Please visit the AP Awards website at www.gvsu.edu/ap/awards to learn more about award categories and nominate an exemplary professional.

2. Where We Stand--Improving Graduation Rates and Why It Matters

As we close out the year, we will be sharing information to provide sign posts and to stimulate conversation in CLAS units.

We begin with a multi-year perspective on graduation rates. Through a combination of efforts to reduce bottlenecks, to predict needs, to advise students well, and to encourage students to take all of the credits they are paying for, our students are graduating earlier. This saves them money, reduces their debt, and allows them to move into the next chapters of their lives. It also gives educational opportunity to new students. In fact, to keep up with this trend, we have to recruit well and keep an eye on our retention rates. More on that next week.

3. International Education Week

International Education Week, an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. This week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This year GVSU will participate by hosting a series of events/programming.

The Student Summer Scholars Program (S3) provides funds for a student and faculty mentor to devote twelve weeks to a research and/or creative project during the spring/summer semester. The application is a collaborative effort between the potential student scholar and faculty mentor. Apply by January 24, 2014. Applications are accepted beginning November 1, 2013, and ending at 11:59 PM, January 24, 2014. Apply online at www.gvsu.edu/ours/s3/. S3 Information Sessions:

Please be aware of a change in process in Human Resources for putting part time instructors and overload contracts into Banner. Effective Winter 2014, ONLY signed appointment letters are to be sent to Human Resources for processing. No appointments will be entered into Banner without a signed appointment letter. Also, please be aware that the signed letters will need to be received in Human Resources in a timely fashion so that parking permits, blackboard, e-mail, payroll, etc. are able to be processed. I will continue to send you an email when each semester appointment letters are due in our office.

Please contact me with any questions.

Bonnie J. Maka, Human Resources Specialist

In the past, the College office sent a copy of the initial unsigned offer letter to HRO and it was loaded into payroll right away. This is no longer the case.

What impact does this new change in HRO procedures have on CLAS?

Part time faculty members, or faculty with overload contracts, must return a signed copy to the CLAS Dean’s office or they cannot be paid.

Our office can now initiate the offer to faculty prior to the completion of the I9 form and EAP approval to teach forms. When we receive those signed contracts back, we will match them to the completed I9 and EAP approval forms and move them over to HRO to load into payroll.

For W14 contracts, we will maintain our normal Nov 15th deadline for staffing plans. With our new improved database system we hope to be able to turn around the contracts in a timely fashion and will not have to move up your deadline for staffing plans based on the most recent change in HRO procedures noted above.

The burden will fall to part time faculty members to sign and return those contracts (I9 and EAP approval to teach forms) to not only initiate payroll, but Blackboard, Email, parking permits, etc.

In the past, you were given an unsigned version of the contract when it was sent to the faculty member. We will no longer send you that version, but will send you the signed version.